Ahead of its time

For over a century, Omega has been creating compelling watches for women. The Her Time retrospective exhibition reflects on timepieces that started the dialogue of gender politics with this practical accessory.

- RISHNA SHAH

A personal message to the man who owns a Seamaster," reads an attention-grabbing Omega ad campaign from the 1960s, "now she can own a watch as fabulous as yours." From early on, the Swiss horologer believed that women should be offered as good a timepiece as their male counterparts. Its marketing tactic was ahead of its time and progressive, to say the least. Quick to tap into the female audience (far earlier than most other competitors) Omega came in with bold but persuasive slogans, challenging gender roles in society and advocating for female equality. This was a crucial decade in the history of feminism that saw a rise in women entering the workforce and fighting for their reproductive rights. And Omega knew that providing a timepiece for women would empower them. One particular print ad for the 'Ladymatic' watch urged the man of the house to 'share' the experience of owning and tending to a self-winding, high-precision timepiece 'because she deserves it'. The brand prides itself on its technical ingenuit